Centrifugal flash tank

ABSTRACT

A flash tank for a superheated liquid has a rotated cylindrical shell divided into longitudinal compartments by transverse stationary partitions which extend into liquid introduced into the shell, the compartments being successively evacuated to a greater extent to successively flash the liquid to a vapor as it flows from one compartment to another under centrifugal force.

United States Patent lnventor Joseph T- finders [56] References Cited A I N 3;??? UNITED STATES PATENTS P 2,623,580 12/1952 Arnaud 159/6 Filed Aug. 5, 1969 Patented Jul 27 1971 2,884,050 4/1959 Brownell 159/6 94 879 7/1959 Hickman 203/21 Assignee Struthers Wells Corporation Priority Au 5.1968 3,255,805 6/1966 Bechard 159/6 Britain 3,369,977 2/1968 Bechard 159/6 X 37254/68 Primary Examiner-Norman Yudkoff Assistant Examiner-J. Sofer Attorney-William A. Drucker CENTRIFUGAL FLASH TANK 5 Claims, 1 Drawing Fig.

U.S.Cl.

Int. Cl 801d 1/22 Field of Search FIXED BAF F another under centrifugal force.

SUPERHEA TED LIQUID IMPl/T FIXED FOR 007157 40 LDWER PRESSURE VAPOR OUTL 7 5 TILL LOWE)? PRESSURE VA POP 0117i ET I- [.0 WEST PRESSURE VAPOR 01/71 [7' XED ABSTRACT: A flash tank for a superheated liquid has a rotated cylindrical shell divided into longitudinal compartments by transverse stationary partitions which extend into liquid introduced into the shell, the compartments being successively evacuated to a greater extent to successively flash the liquid to a vapor as it flows from one compartment to PATENTEU m2? I871 .123, 595 98 SUPER/4m r50 L/QU/D 014/ 07 F/XED FIXED c0 l/EA? F/XED DISK BAFFL ES FIXED COLLECT/N6 R/NG L/ (/ID 0 7157 y VAPOR OUTLET LOWER PRESSURE VAPOR pun 7 STILL LOWE? PRESSURE VA POI? 007A [7' LOWEST PRESSURE VAPOR OUTLET INVENTOR ATTORNEY CENTRIFUGAL FLASH TANK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Certain liquid solutions, such as coffee extract as one example, are difficult to concentrate by boiling because they foam. This foaming causes entrainment of air or gas with resulting poor heat transfer to the liquid. Often the degree of foaming is a function of concentration within a given limited concentration range so that outside this range foaming is no longer a problem. The device of this invention flashes liquid from a solution with a minimum of foaming within such a range.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A flash tank for a superheated solution has a rotated cylindrical shell divided into longitudinal compartments by transverse, stationary disk-shaped partitions which extend into liquid introduced into and spun outward onto the inside of the shell, the compartments being evacuated to a progressively greater extend to successively flash portions of the liquid to a vapor as it flows from one compartment to another under centrifugal force. The high acceleration to which the solution is subjected in the apparatus of this invention breaks down foam at a higher rate than it forms.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The FIGURE is a longitudinal section through the apparatus ofthis invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As may be seen in the drawing, a cylindrical shell is rotatably mounted by an upper collar 11 which is pressed into a ball bearing 12 Collar 11 is welded to the upper end wall I3 of shell 10. Collar 11 has a V-belt groove 14 formed in it. By means ofa V-belt 15, motor 16 rotates shell 10.

Inlet feedpipe 17 extends through the stationary cover 18 to inject a solution 19 in shell 10. Centrifugal force draws the solution 19 against the inner side of the spinning shell 10. Concentric pipes 20, 21, 22 and 23 extend upward from a common base and closure 24 through the central opening of bottom wall 25 of shell 10. The ends of the pipes 20, 21, 22 and 23 support and space apart, respectively, the disk-shaped partitions 26, 27, 28 and 29 which have edges extending into the solution 19 and they form the compartments 30, 31, 32 and 33. By means of exhaust blowers 34, 35, 36 and 37 and ducts 38, 39, 40 and 41, the pressures in compartments 30, 31, 32 and 33 are reduced to a progressively greater extent in each successive compartment.

If the solution 19 introduced into compartment is superhundred gravities.

Concentrated solution, concentrated past the foaming range, flows through the apertures 42 in end wall 25 to fly into the collecting ring 43 and leave the apparatus through drainpipe 44 as a concentrated foamless product, It is to be noted that pipes 20, 21, 22'and 23 need not be concentric and that the partition disks 26, 27, 28 and 29 may be rotatively mounted with suitable seals. As many compartments as desired for a given concentration may be provided.

While this invention has been shown and described in the best form known, it will nevertheless be understood that this is purely exemplary and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is: 1. A centrifugal flash tank for a superheated liquid comprisdisplaced, perforate disk-shaped baffles in said shell having their outer peripheral edges extending into the centrifuged liquid in said shell, said disk-shaped baffles forming successive axially contiguous flash evaporation chambers in said shell, vapor exhaust pipes sealingly extending through said baffles, the open ends of said pipes terminating in respective ones of said chambers, and exhaust means connected to said pipes progressively reducing pressure in said successive flash evaporation chambers, and at least one bore in the lower end of the shell for discharging concentrated solutions.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said pipes are concentrically disposed and extend longitudinally through one end of said shell, the centermost pipe extending to the chamber most remote from the end of said shell entered by said concentric pipes and the outer pipes extending successively to respective chambers.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said liquid is introduced into the remote end of said shell, said shell having at that end a first'inturned annular end wall retaining said liquid introduced into said shell.

4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said at least one bore is contained in a second inturned annular end wall through which the concentrated liquid may flow from said shell.

5. The combination according to claim 4 with the addition of a stationary annular collecting ring disposed about said cylindrical shell and said second annular end wall collecting liquid flowing through the aperture in said second end wall. 

1. A centrifugal flash tank for a superheated liquid comprising, in combination, a cylindrical rotating shell, means introducing a liquid into said shell, transverse stationary, axially displaced, perforate disk-shaped baffles in said shell having their outer peripheral edges extending into the centrifuged liquid in said shell, said disk-shaped baffles forming successive axially contiguous flash evaporation chambers in said shell, vapor exhaust pipes sealingly extending through said baffles, the open ends of said pipes terminating in respective ones of said chambers, and exhaust means connected to said pipes progressively reducing pressure in said successive flash evaporation chambers, and at least one bore in the lower end of the shell for discharging concentrated solutions.
 2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said pipes are concentrically disposed and extend longitudinally through one end of said shell, the centermost pipe extending to the chamber most remote from the end of said shell entered by said concentric pipes and the outer pipes extending successively to respective chambers.
 3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said liquid is introduced into the remote end of said shell, said shell having at that end a first inturned annular end wall retaining said liquid introduced into said shell.
 4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said at least one bore is contained in a second inturned annular end wall through which the concentrated liquid may flow from said shell.
 5. The combination according to claim 4 with the addition of a stationary annular collecting ring disposed about said cylindrical shell and said second annular end wall collecting liquid flowing through the aperture in said second end wall. 